Marriott International has appointed David Rookard as the new General Manager of Courtyard Birmingham Downtown at UAB.
Rookard brings 15 years of experience in hospitality management to one of the premier hotels in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. His cross-brand experience includes working full-service and select-service hotels with Marriott, Hilton, Westin, Sheraton and Hyatt.
“It is with great pleasure that I join the Courtyard Birmingham at UAB team,” said Rookard. “I plan on utilizing my diverse experience and knowledge of the industry in this position, working hard to ensure the hotel continues to exceed guests’ expectations with top-notch amenities and superior services.”
Beginning his hospitality management career in 1998, Rookard served as director of housekeeping for various Hilton and Marriott hotels in Greenville, SC, and Charlotte, NC. In 2006, Rookard took on an area general manager role for Residence Inn hotels in Charlotte, NC and Spartanburg, SC. With regional and corporate responsibility, Rookard improved guest satisfaction scores from 38.7 to 88.3 on a 100-point scale. He was also instrumental in managing a $7 million renovation of both extended-stay hotels.
Rookard then moved to Ypsilanti, MI in 2008 as direction of rooms at the Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest, where he led the front office and housekeeping operations. A year later, Rookard accepted his first general manager position at the Hyatt Place Houston Bush Intercontinental in Houston, TX.
Most recently, Rookard served as the area director of operations and sales for Interstate Hotels and Resorts, a position he began in 2011. His responsibilities included oversight of all operations and sales for four Hyatt Place properties in Dallas, Austin, Houston and San Antonio. Additional responsibilities included managing and training staff, directing four general managers and completing forecasts and annual budgets. From 2011 to 2013, all four hotels scored above the brand quality assurance ratings, and his Houston property received the second highest quality assurance rating within the brand. Rookard was also recognized as the highest company performer for REVPAR (revenue per available room) index in 2012 and 2013.
